Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

6 Bagatelles

There's no humorous tone to be found in Six Bagatelles.The cycle opens with the spirited and bold Deciso. Following this come the expressive, splendidly laid-out Molto sostenuto; the concise Presto, in which the lightness of the scherzo is broken by a vitality in the style of Bartók or Stravinsky; the lyric-narrative, Messiaenic Largo; and the muted, subtle Lento with its unique tonal effects. The whole is crowned by Presto - decidedly contrasting with its antecedents - in which repetition and motility combine with ragtime forms. Although one cannot speak of tonality in the sense of the major-minor system, through choice of chords, harmonic and melodic phrases, individual elements oscillate around a defined centre. The texture and form of the parts derive from the manner of narration and evolution of motif-themes. The composer utilises the instruments in all registers and with a winde range of articulation - though the aim is not sonorstic experimentation but the creation of an aura through which to express a particular emotion.